Machine for applying adhesive tape to fabrics



Feb. EL 1930. J. M. COOKE MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE TO FABRICS Filed April 1, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l -nh w llllwl Feb. 11, 1930.

J. M. cooKE 1,747,147

MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE TO FABRICS Filed April 1, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. M 1930.. J. M. COOKE 11,747,147

MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE TO FABRICS Filed April 1, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 11, 1930. COOKE 1,747,147

MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE T0 FABRICS Filed April 1, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 secure the tape to the fabric.

Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES.

PATENT orrlca JOHN M. COOKIE, OF REVERE, MASSA CH'U 'SETTS, ASSIGNOR T NICHOLAS W. MATHEY MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE TO FABRICS Application filed April 1, 1927. Serial No. 180,169.

of a leather boot to form a finish over the 4 back seam, both for appearance sake and to avoid roughness of the upper where it may rub against the back line of the heel portion of the foot. The present machine provides a convenient and very efiicient means for rapidly applying the adhesively coated tape to such a seamed fabric or to the edge portions of a thin piece of leather requiring reinforcement.

To this end the invention, generally speaking, embraces a combination of a work-supporting and work-feedin means with a reciprocatory hammer or eater arranged to press together the adhesive tape and the fabric against the work-support, in order to Suitable positioning guides or gages are provided for properly presenting the work to the tapeapplying means, and means are also provided for softening the adhesive material on he tape to render it tacky or sticky in order to facilitate the rapid action of the machine. As the tape is adhesively coated on one side there is a tendency for it to stick when wound on a spool, and special means are provided for freeing or releasing the tape from such adhesive contact with the supply package from which it is carried to position'for application to the work.

These and other features of the invention will be described in detail in the following specification and will be defined in the claims hereto annexed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenient construction and arrangement embodying the principles of this invention, and in this specific case utilizing in part a sewing machine head of well known form for the support of the work ing parts, in which drawings:

1 Figure 1 is'a front elevation of the machine as a whole.

Figures 2 and 3 are detail views in elevation and plan, respectively, of the tape-freeing member. p

Figure 4 is an end elevation showing, on an enlarged scale, the tape-applying and holding mechanism.

Figure 5 is a view on a similar scale of some of the parts shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the lower part of the mechanism similar to that shown in Figure 4, showing a modified arrangement .of work-guide.

Figure 7 is a detail view of the parts shown in Figure 6 taken at rightangles to the plane of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the work-support inassociattion with a modified form of tape-guiding means.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the tape guiding means shown-in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a partial plan View thereof.

Figure 11 is an end elevation showing the tape-feeding and heating means by which the tape is stripped from the spool and heated on its way to the work-support.

Figure 12 is a perspective View showing two-pieces of leather seamedtogether with the tape applied to and covering the same on the inner side.

Figures 13 and 14 are detail views in plan and vertical section, respectively, showing a universal type of tape-feeding member adapted for both wide and narrow tapes.

For convenience I have utilized, as the main frame or head of the machine, a wellknown type of sewing machine head 1, having an overhanging hollow arm 2 and a hollow base portion 3 provided with a casing 11,

underneath the Wbrkin parts for containing the underneath feed 0 the well-known fore- .motion type used in sewing machines, such casing being surmounted by a plate 10 forming a work-support through which, at two points, the corrugated work-feeding dogs 9 project when in action.

The main shaft 4 of the machine passes through the upper overhanging arm 2 of the head, and is provided with upper bearing lug i 2 and lower bearing lug 2 for the support of vertically reciprocating, parts presently to be described.

1 There is no need of describing the underneath feed mechanism since that is a wellknown, type of sewing machine feed, and it' I to which an oscillatory movement is imparted by the connecting link 7, attached to a rocker arm 8 on the rock-shaft 8. It will, of course, be understood that any suitable mechanism may be employed for actuating the underneath feed-dog in the work-support. The entire machine is mounted on a horizontal work-table A of suitable construction carrying the parts.

In the main illustrations the machine is shown set up for use in covering the back seam of two stitched together pieces of shoe upper, such as is illustrated in Figure 12,-

the stitched together pieces of the upper being shown at a, with the adhesive tape applied to cover the inner side of the seam to avoid roughness and also give a finished appearance to the interior of the shoe at this point. As will be later pointed out, the machine may also be used for applying adhesive tape to the edge portions of thin pieces of leather or other fabric which it is desired to reinforce.

The machine employs, in conjunction with suitable holding-down presser feet or members, a tape-pressing or applying hammer or beater by which successive portions of the work, as it is fed through the machine by correlated feedin mechanism, are pressed together so that t e tape forms an adhesive contact with the leather or other fabric to which it is applied. a

I will first describe the machine for pressing the fabric and the adhesive tape together into intimate contact and for feeding work intermittently, and will then describe the feeding and heating means by which the tape is carried to the work step by step with its adhesive in a softened state to facilitate quick adhesion to the fabric.

Referring particularly first to Figures 4 and 5, I provide a vertical reciprocating plunger 15,-slidably mounted in bearing portions 2 and 2 of the head, and to its lower end is detachably secured, by the set screw 16 :an arm 16 carrying, at its lower end, a block 16 of leather or raw-hide to form a somewhat yielding face for what may be termed the hammer element of the machine. This reciprocating hammer may be actuated in any suitable manner and, as shown in the drawings, there is secured to the bar 15, a laterally projecting pin 14 carried by a clamping block 14, which is fastened in place by the clamping screws 14". The eccentric 12 on the drive-shaft 4 is operatively connected with the reciprocating and hammer bar 15, by means of the connecting rod 13, whose upper end surrounds the eccentric.

To cooperate with the four-motion feeddog 9, which projects up through openings in the work-supporting plate 10, and moves backward in the well-known manner to impart an intermittent feed to the Work resting upon the work-support, I provide two coacting presser feet 32 and 35 one of which, in this case presser foot 32, presses the work against the underneath feed-dog 9 and is free to swing rearwardly with the work as the underneath feed dog moves toward the rear, while the other presser foot 35, during this feedingoperation, is slightly raised from the work but descends upon it as the feeding movement ceases in order to pinch or hold it against displacement on the work-support, while the feeding presser-foot 32 moves forward in raised position to again engage the work andpinch it against the underneath feed-dogin order to repeat the feeding operation.

The mechanism by which this alternating pressing of the work against the feed-dog and holdin of the work against the work-plate is accomp ished will now be described.

A slidebar 19, mounted rearwardly of the reciprocating hammer-bar 15, is free to move up and down in the bearin bosses 2- and 2". Intermediate of these two earings 'it is pro vided with a thrust block 20 clamped thereto by screws and having a rearward extension 20 in which is inserted a fulcral pin 21, on which is pivoted an an le-lever 22 which has pivotal connection wit 1 the connecting link 23 with an eccentric crank pin 24 on the drive-shaft 4 so that, as the shaft 4 rotates,

the angle lever will be rocked to and fro on its fulcrum.

The horizontal arm 22 of this angle-lever carries, at its forward end, a connecting pin 25 to which ispiyotally connected a vertically depending bar 30. To the lower end of this bar 30 is adjustably attached, by means of screw 32, a horizontal presser foot 32, whose shank 32 extends upward to overlap the lower end of its supporting and actuating bar 30 so as to permit adjustable attachment of the presser-foot to its supporting bar. It is the function of this bar to support the presserfoot 32 so as to allow the presser foot to swing rearwardly upon the fulcral-pin 25 inorder to move with the rearwardly fed work, while maintaining pressing contact therewith.

The supporting-bar 30 swings inside an overlapping guide-arm 31 which acts to limit the forward swinging movement of the bar 30. The rearward movement, induced by the movement of the underneath feed-dog 9 on the work, serves to compress the lever spring 31 against a stop 31 which limits the rearward movement of the presser-foot bar.

angle-lever 22, thereby. allowing the spring to return it to forward position, while, upon such release and return, the work holding presser-foot 35, is forced down upon the wor to pinch it against the work-supporting plate 10 until the presser-foot 32 again presses the work ata new point against the underneath feed-dog. This alternating lifting and pressing action of these two presser feet is effected by reason of the fact that the bar '19 is normally pressed downward by the compression spring 38 thrusting against the block 20 clamped thereon, and the fact that the ful-' cral point of the angle lever 22, which acts as a presser-foot actuating member, shifts al-.

ternately from pin 21 to pin 25, as will now be explained.

The work-holding presser-bar 19 is normally pressed down by the spring 38 until it is stopped by its thrust against the fixed work-supporting plate. As this bar can descend no farther the fulcral pin 21, secured to a and carried by it,acts as a fixed fulcrum on which the angle lever 22 is rockedby the connecting link 23, so that the forward end of the arm 22, of this lever, must move downwardly under the pull of the connecting link 23 to force the feeding presser-foot .32

against the work, this action occurring obviously during the forward or return movement of the work-feedin presser-foot .32.

Just as soon, however, as t e presser-foot 32 comes to rest against the work interposed between it and the work-supporting plate the pin 25 becomes then a fixed fulcral point and the further movement of the connecting link i 23, induced by the rotating shaft, acts to swing the angle lever 22 upward about a pivotal center 25 against the resistance of the spring 38.

There are two points at which both the presser-foot and the holding-foot are down on the work, namely, when the crank pin 24 is at the top of its stroke intermediate of its .extreme forward andrear positions, and also when it is at the bottom of its stroke or travel. During the first quarter of its travel toward its forward position the pin 24 acts to swing the angle-arm 22 on the pin 25 as a fulcrum,

- thus lifting. the holder 35 from the work.

During the second quarter of its'revolut-ion, that is, towardeits lowermost position, the holder goes down upon the work. During the first quarter when the holder is lifting and during the second quarter of the circle, when the holder is going down toward the work, the plunger 15, carrying the hammer, v

reason of the rearward movement of the underneath feed-dog to feed the work, but during the third quarter turn the feeding presserfoot, as it is lifting from the work, is free to return to forward position under the action of its return sprmg 31. The block of leather, constituting the case of the hammer or tape-pressing appliance, has suflicient compressibility to yield under the downward pressure of its supporting and actuating bar so that the hammer actually remains in pressing contact with the work through a substantial arc of the revolution of the cam 24 as its high part approaches and recedes from the lowermost point of its travel. It will, therefore, be seen that there is perfect correlation of the overhead feed presser with the underneath feed-dog and that all the parts are so co-ordinated that each overhead presser foot engages the work before the other is actually lifted from it. a

I will now describe the tape-feeding and heating means. A

Some distance to the rear ofthe machine are located two uprights or standards 50, provided, at their upper ends, with bearings to receive a horizontal shaft 51 upon which a tape-supply spool52 is loosely mounted so as to permit the spool to slide axially in either direction in order to maintain the portion of the tape being delivered from the spool in line with the'tape-guiding' and drawing-off means.

- At a short distance below the shaft 51 is mounted a transverse rod 53, formed with a guide-loop 53, at its middle portion opposite the tape-applying mechanism, above described,

The tape-drawing off or releasing member comprises a vertical arm 54, formed with a laterallyextended slotted head 54. This I of the draw-off member 54, 54, which is found to be very effective in drawing off a sufiicient supply of tape to feed forward, through the work-feeding devices of the ma chine at each cycle of operations.

Beneath the table A is mounted a heating chamber'or casing 60, in which is located an electrically heated element or plate 61, through which electric current is supplied through the terminal 61*. The tape passes down through an opening inthe table around the guide-roller 62 and 63, and up through the vertical arm60 of the casing 60, whose upper end is provided with a guide-rod or railway 65, adjacent to the Work-supporting plate 10, over which the tape is fed with its 4 adhesively coated surface uppermost, such adhesive coating bein softened to render it sticky and quickly ad iesive in order that it will adhere firmly to the underside of the superimposed fabric which is fed with the tape rearwardly over the work table by the feed devices, already described.

Various types of gages or guides may be applied to the work-plate immediately in advance of the work-supporting surface thereof. In Figures 6 and 7 is shown a sheet-metal guide 42, whose tape-engaging end is bent to form a hollow loop for the passage of the tape, and which is adjustably secured 1n place by an attaching screw 42 pass ng through a longitudinal slot in the tape-guide or gage. h

To accurately position the work during its passage through the machine, appropriate work-guiding means or gages are provided which may be made in several ways according to the nature of the work and the preference of the operator.

In Figures 4 and 5 the elongated dpresse rfoot 32 is shown provided with a me ial thin fin or rib 32 somewhat similar to a boat keel, which engages the crease or groove formed by stitchin the two pieces of fabric a, a, together, as s own in Figure 12 so that, as the work is fed through, perfect alignment between the tape and the fabric to which it is applied is maintained. This gage, however, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, may be made quite separate from the presser-foot and, n that case, the gage 40, with its depending rib or blade 40, is supported at the lower end of a vertical bar 40*, which slides-in upper and lower bearing arms of the'frame 41 and 1s yieldingly pressed downward by the thrust spring 40, working a ainst a thrust collar 40 ,-adjustably secure to the rod 40". To raise the work-guide from the work ashort thumb-lever 42 is pivoted on the frame 41 in equally for use in applying adhesive tape,

or so-called friction tape, to the edge portions of a plain piece of leather without an seam. In such case the gage would be of different form from the ribbed gage or guide just described, and would need to bear against one edge of the work.-

As shown in Figure 9, this gage 66 is mounted on a slidably adjustable carriage 67, arranged on the inner side of the machine and by its adjustment longitudinally of the machine head it can be said to form a lateral guide to be engaged by the edge of the work being treated.

In ,Figures 8, 9 and 10 I have shown also a modified form of tape-guide comprising upper and lower plates 70 and 71, having registering slots transversely of the tape which is passed through these slots 70 and Clampin screws 72, passing through slots in the shank portion of these gageplates, make it possible to adjust either one of them so as to carry the width of the slot, formed by the two combined, to whatever width of tape is being used.

The particular features of the work-guiding gage shown in Figure 9 are not further described in this application since they are not herein claimed.

While in the drawings I have shown the feeding presser-foot 32 secured to the swinging reciprocatory bar 30, andtheholdingdown presser foot 35 secured to the right line reciprocating bar 19, yet it might be advantageous, in some cases, to change these about so that the small presser foot 35 would become the feeding presser-foot and the larger presser-foot 32 would become the holding presserfoot, in order that when functionin or applying tape at the flat edge portion 0 a piece of leather the work could be turned around a very sharp corner.

\ The type of tape-unwinding or drawing-off device shown in Figures 2 and 3, while serving satisfactorily for narrow tape, is subject to the folding or doubling of the tape when used on wide tapes. If, however, the tapeguiding slot in the drawing-off device is angularly adjustable under the tension of the tape, the trouble will be overcome. Such a construction is shown in Figures 13 and 14, the characteristic feature of which is that the slotted tape-receiving member is rotatably mounted to change the angular disposition of the slot according to the direction from which the tape approaches, whether from one side or the other, or from a position directly in line with the plane .of oscillation of the arm 54. This, which is the preferred form, has an annular head 54% at the top of arm 54 and in this head or bearing ring is rotatably mounted a. flanged disk or button 54 having a tape-receiving slot. The slotted tapeguide is kept in place by a bottom-retaining plate 54, forming, in conjunction with the flange of the disk, a peripheral groove or track receiving the bearing ring 54,

It will be observed that the vibratory stripper does not gripthe tape between two jaws and, therefore there is no adhesion of the tape to the strip r .device. Furthermore, as the inside or ad esively coated face of the tape, as it is drawn off from the spool, reaches the work table lies uppermost the fabric to be reinforced is superimposed upon said upturned coated face and pressed down against it by the presser and feeding members. This arrangement prevents adhesion of the tape to the beater pressing member or hammer and also allows the fin of the overhead guide to ride in the seam-crease which it could not do if the adhesive ta e were uppermost. Furthermore, the gui e members, which guide the tape throu h the heater to the worksupport, engage the ack or unc'oated surface of the tape so that the adhesive is not removed by frictional engagement with the guides.

What I claim is: k

-1. Ina machine for applying adhesive tape to fabric, the combination with a worksupport, of intermittently acting work-feed-. ing means and a reciprocatory hammer ar ranged to press successive portions of a tape and of the fabric together in the intervals between successive feeding movements of the work.

v 2. In a machine for applying adhesive tape to fabric, the combination with a work sup port, intermittentlyacting coo erative feeding mechanism arran ed part y above and partly below the wor an overhead reciprocatory plufijger provided with a pressing member of yielding material, said plunger;

being actuated to press the interposed tape and fabric against the work-support in the intervals between the feeding movement of the work.

3. In a machine for applying adhesive tape to fabric, the combination with a worksupport, of intermittently acting work-feedin means, an intermittently acting workho ding presser coordinated with the workfeeding means to act in alternation therewith, and a reciprocatory hammer arran ed to press interposed contacting layers of abric and adhesive tape against the work-support when the work-holding presser is in active position.

4. lln a machine for applying to fabric, the combination wit means for aladhesive tape piece of fabric and an adhesive tape, a revoluble tape-carrier, means for heating the tape before it is pressed against the fabric, and means for intermittently stripping predetermined lengths of the tape from the tape-carrier in coordination with the feeding means.

5. In a machine for applying adhesive tape'to fabric, the combination with a carrier-spool upon which the adhesive is wound, of tape-guiding means, of a vibratory tapeengaging and stripping means for drawing off a predetermined length of tape from the spool, said spool being mounted to be revolved by the pull of the tape and to be shifted axially to maintain the unwinding tape in line with the tape-guiding means.

6. Means for delivering to tape-applying mechanism predetermined lengths of adhe sive tape Wound on a carrier-spool embracing in combination means for supporting a revoluble tape-carrying spool to permit axial movement of the spool, a stationary guiding means for receiving the tape unwinding from the spool, a vibratory stripper through which the tape passes on its way to the tape-applying mechanism, and means embracing a rotary shaft and a stationary shaft having operative connection with the vibratory stripper to cause it to draw off from the spool prede-' termined lengths of the tape.

7. In combination with a rovolubly mounted spool on which is wound adhesive tape, a vibratory stripper arm through which the tape unwinding from the spool is passed, a rotary shaft carrying an eccentric cam engaging said stripper arm, said stripper arm being also slotted at a distance from the cam for enga ement with a stationary member whereby t 1e stripper arm is caused to vi brate and thereby draw off from the spool predetermined lengths of tape.

8. In a machine for applying adhesive tape to fabric, the combination wlth a worksupport, means for alternately feedin and pressing superimposed layers of a esive tape and fabric in unison, tape-guiding means associated with the work support and embracing two slotted adjustable plates mounted one above the other with registering slots whose conjoint effective length may be varied for diflerent widths of tape by the lateral adjustment of one plate in relation to the other.

9. A tape-guiding gage for guiding the tape to tape-feeding and appl 'ng mechanism, comprisingtwo guide p ates adjustably secured in position each having a pair of aligned slots through which the tape is drawn, the slots of each plate being arranged to be set in registered relation both to narrow the effective width of the slots to fit different widths of tape and to position any width-of tape to proper relation to the tapeapplying mechanism.

5 ternatel feedin and ressin to ether a 10. In a tape-applyin 7 machine, the 00my g P g g M bination with a rotatable tape-Carr spool, of a vibratory tape-stripping devi d diaving a se1f-adjusting slotted tape-receiving member rotatably mounted therein.

11. In a machine for applying adhesive tape to fabric the combination with means for supporting adhesive tape and super: imposed fabrlc, of intermittently acting work-feeding work-holding means for advancing and holding the tape and the superimposed fabric together, means for heating said tape to soften its adhesive coating and guiding means for guiding the tape with its adhesive side uppermost into contact with the underside of the superimposed fabric, and

work-hammerin means arranged above the, fabric to cause t e fabric to adhesively unite with the underlying portion of the tape.

12. In amachine for applying adhesive tape to fabric the combination of means for intermittently stripping predetermined lengths of tape from a spool on which the tape is coiled, a tape heating conduit, tape guiding means arranged to engage the uncoated face of the 2 tape, and guide it through said conduit to the work support with its adhesive face uppermost, and means for pressing down on said tape a superimposed piece of fabric to be reinforced, and means for intermittently feeding the adherent tape and fabric over the work support.

13. In a machine for applying adhesive tape to fabric, the combination with a work support, "of alternately acting work-feeding and work-holdin means, a reciprocatory hammer arrange to hammer the tape and the fabric against the work support in advance of the work-holding means.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the 40 above specification.

JOHN M. 'COOKE. 

